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Former running mates square off against each other in race for Cicero supervisor seat

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Former Cicero Town Supervisor Judy Boyke and Deputy Supervisor Jessica Zambrano meet with the Cicero Town Board in this November 2011 file photo. Boyke and Zambrano, once running mates, will run against each other in next week's election for town supervisor.
(Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com)

Cicero, NY -- Former Cicero Town Supervisor Judy Boyke and current Cicero Deputy Supervisor Jessica Zambrano ran for office as part of a team of Democrats in 2009.

Boyke won a two-year term as supervisor and Zambrano won a four-year seat on the town council. Zambrano was appointed deputy supervisor and her term is up at the end of the year. Boyke lost her re-election run in 2011 to current Supervisor Jim Corl Jr. Now Zambrano and Boyke are running for election again, but a lot has changed in four years.

Jessica ZambranoProvided photo

The pair of former Democratic running mates will square off against each other and Zambrano is running with backing from the Republican party. Boyke claims that Zambrano betrayed her and Zambrano claims that Boyke never did what she promised to do once she took office.

When the pair teamed up to run with fellow Democrat Lynn Jennings in 2009, both had a similar goal. They both wanted former Cicero Supervisor Chet Dudzinski out of office.

Zambrano, 68, of Totman Road, served on the town board for one year in 2006. At the time she was the only Democrat on the board. "I didn't feel that there was communication on the board and that there was fiscal responsibility," Zambrano said.

Boyke, 71, of Muskrat Bay Road, said she is a lifelong Cicero resident and business owner whose only goal is to serve the best interest on the town.

Boyke is running for the supervisor seat with a team of Democrats again, which includes Donald Snyder and Jennings, an incumbent, for town councilor positions. The team is running under the slogan: "People Not Politics."

Zambrano, who found herself pulling away from Boyke in 2010 and siding more with Corl, a Republican, will be running for town supervisor. Republicans Mike Becallo and Mark Venesky are running for the two open town councilor seats.

Zambrano changed her party affiliation to Independent last year. She has already filed to change her party affiliation to Republican, but it won't go into effect until after the election.

Zambrano said she's concerned more with the issues than party affiliation. Her goal is to continue the work that Corl has implemented in his two years as supervisor. Corl, who will not run for re-election, is seeking a seat on the Onondaga County Legislature. He will run for the 3rd District seat that covers Cicero and part of Manlius.

Boyke said she doesn't agree with many of the changes Corl has made, including the changes made to town board meetings. The board comment period has been removed and town department heads are no longer required to attend meetings.

"It seems as if decisions are made before the board meetings," Boyke said. "There is no open discussion."

Zambrano said the changes have created a more professional environment on the town board. Under Boyke, she compared the town board meetings to "The Wild, Wild West."

"It was a free-for-all and it was very unprofessional," Zambrano said.

Zambrano said, if elected, she wants to continue to look for ways to save the town money and continue creating long-term plans for spending and development.

"The town has improved under Jim," she said. "I want to keep moving forward. I don't want to move backwards."

Boyke said after she lost the election in 2011 she had open heart surgery, but despite her health concerns, she only missed two town board meetings.

"I've never left," she said. "I'm ready to continue the work I started in 2010."

Boyke said she doesn't feel the town board is being transparent with the community and she doesn't think the town board is working as a team.

"I want to be given the opportunity to really bring the town back together," Boyke said. "A full team that is working for the people of the town and not working for power."